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Row the Boat
A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture
JON GORDON
P.J. FLECK
Copyright © 2021 by Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
Interior photography provided by the University of Minnesota, used with permission.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Gordon, Jon, 1971- author. | Fleck, P. J., 1980- author.
Title: Row the boat : a never-give-up approach to lead with enthusiasm and optimism and improve your team and culture / Jon Gordon, P. J. Fleck.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2021]
Identifiers: LCCN 2021010915 (print) | LCCN 2021010916 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119766292 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119766315 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119766308 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Fleck, P. J., 1980- | Leadership. | Perseverance (Ethics) | Football—Coaching—Philosophy.
Classification: LCC HD57.7 .G666743 2021 (print) | LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/092—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021010915
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021010916
Cover art: © SHUTTERSTOCK | KELVIN REYNOSO
Cover design: PAUL MCCRTHY
To my children, may you always see the good in everyone and dream BIG! Know that the dream is the journey.
To our players (current and former), may you never be a better football player than you are a person.
To our staff (current and former), thank you for always making our culture look so good.
To my wife, Heather, thank you for not allowing me to give up on R.T.B. Your strength, integrity, patience, and forgiveness inspire me daily.
To the children in the hospital, Row the Boat.
—P.J.
Introduction
I've followed P.J. Fleck's coaching career for years, ever since he built the Western Michigan University (WMU) football team into a national powerhouse. I always admired his positive energy and passion and could tell he was a great culture builder and leader. I had also heard stories about him from Brad Black, whose company, HumanEx Ventures, performed the talent search and evaluation of head coaching candidates for WMU. Brad recommended to the leaders of WMU that they hire P.J. Fleck, despite his lack